View Latest Data |
|
Log-in Register |
||||||||||
| Count | Photo | Details | Added  |
| 5,701 |  |
By Ray Monk Now part of the Go-Ahead group, Docklands Buses use at least three of these Ford Tourneo minibuses for crew ferry duties from their depot in Silvertown. I say 'at least three' because the total anonymity of the vehicles makes them hard to identify. The location (and the HV'd occupants) gives the game away at Stratford Bus Station on 8th March 2009. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,702 |  |
By Malcolm Millichip The growing NCP Challenger operation acquired a second-hand Mercedes Vito minibus for crew ferry duties by early 2009. Seen parked at Manor Circus, Richmond, on 20th February is RN52EFU. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,703 |  |
By Thomas Young The recent extension of this website to include rail stock will cover wagons as well as locos and units. Seen at Lillie Bridge depot on 3rd March 2009 were a trio of ballast hopper wagons, with HW221 nearest the camera. Twenty-two of these 30ton capacity wagons were built by W H Davis of Shirebrook in 1981. The Gloucester bogies have brake control hand-wheels, while three wheels at each end of the wagons control the discharge chutes between and to either side of the rails. The slab sides of the hoppers originally had London Transport lettering, later replaced by Underground, but they are now plain. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,704 |  |
By Kim Rennie Seen inside the shed at Lillie Bridge on 5th March 2009, battery loco L25 looks as though it has recently been repainted. Built by Metro-Cammell in 1965, this example retains a full set of side louvres (unlike similar L23 in the background). Note the retracted buffers, drop-head buckeye coupling, and screw-link coupling kept on a hook to the left. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,705 |  |
By Ray Monk The first 67xx service vehicle to be reported and photographed was Ford Transit high-roof van 6711F, seen here near Tower Hill on 8th February 2009. Although carrying Tube Lines logo, it was parked among a number of Metronet vehicles involved in work during a possession on the District and Circle lines. It could be that this van is part of the Tube Lines 'hire' fleet. Note the fold-over hazchem plate on the front bumper. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,706 |  |
By Ray Monk 2008 delivery 6367M is parked next to 2009 delivery 6617M at Eltham Bus Station on 7th March 2009. The differences between the two batches of IRUs are minimal. Minor differences in the positioning of lettering and front lamps are not consistent, while the yellow dots on the wing mirrors (which all the new batch have) have also been applied to some of the first batch. The only other thing I have spotted is that the new batch all have a square no-smoking sticker in the top right corner of the windscreen! |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,707 |  |
By Damon Cross Another IRU comparison, with newly-delivered 6612M alongside class pioneer 6364M at Turnpike Lane Bus Station on 19th February 2009. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,708 |  |
By Ray Monk This is the first of three photos that compare the 2009 batch of LBSL Incident Response Units with the 2008 batch. Seen at Sycamore House on 2nd March 2009, new 6608M is parked alongside 6349M and a couple of other vans. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,709 |  |
By John Lloyd-Martin Delivery commenced in February 2009 of a second batch of Incident Response Units for London Buses. Using Mercedes Sprinters identical to the earlier batch, these are thought to be to replace the 20 Mercedes leased in late 2005. This view taken at Uxbridge Bus Station on 4th March 2009 shows new 6605M parked ahead of two of its predecessors; regular resident 5806M and Kingston-based 5808M. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,710 |  |
By Colin Lloyd This Ford Transit was caught passing Hammersmith Station on 13th February 2009. Apart from the unusual lettering (slightly reminiscent of the Workforce advertising of the 1980s), the most notable feature of this van is that it appears to be a low-roof body on a medium wheelbase chassis, a combination not previously available. The difference between the two lengths is just over a foot, but this is disguised by the fact that the length of the side doors remains in proportion. The best giveaway is the slightly longer gap between the back of the side door and the front of the rear wheelarch. Also notable is that the van was registered in Yorkshire, perhaps by the same company that provided the Staff Welfare conversion Transits. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,711 |  |
By Kim Rennie Kim was at Acton Works on 5th March 2009 and managed to take a few photos of some of the service vehicles present. One that had not previously been seen was 6502F, a Ford Ranger pick-up with crew-cab and hard-top. This chunky vehicle has blue fleetnumbers and a Metronet logo without the red swoosh. Parked behind is Ford Transit 'Jumbo' crew van 6447F, while in the background can be seen one of the demountable box bodies latterly used by the Emergency Response Unit (believed to be DB6). This has had its lettering painted out and is used as a store. The ERU building is out of shot on the left. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,712 |  |
By Thomas Young Caught just as the gates were closing, this view shows Ford Transit crew van 6482F in the yard adjacent to Golders Green Station on 4th March 2009. This is another of the Tube Lines Signals fleet, recognisable by the plain white livery and the tube on the roof. The black strips above the side window appear to be sticky tape! It is likely that this vehicle has replaced long-term resident 5577F. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,713 |  |
By Thomas Young For most of 2008, the small yard at West Kensington station was home to a number of Ford Rangers (as seen here). However, none were present on 3rd March 2009, their place having been taken by no fewer than 6 Vauxhall Combo vans. 6402V is in the centre, with 6130V the nearest on the right. Others identified were 6129V, 6403V and 6404V. Providing some continuity is logoless Ford Transit crew van 6017F on the left. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,714 |  |
By John Lloyd-Martin Parked in Finsbury Park (Wells Terrace) Bus Station on 4th March 2009, 6358M is one of the 26 Mercedes Sprinters delivered in early 2008 for use as London Buses Incident Response Units. Note that since delivery, the side and front roundels have changed from showing 'Buses' to the more normal 'BUSES'. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,715 |  |
By Kim Rennie Two 'lesser spotted' Metronet Ford Transits are seen within Acton Works on 5th March 2009. On the left is mid-height van 6294F with ladder racks, while on the right is high-roof crew van 6239F. The LS07 registration on 6294F is unusual, the only other examples being on four Transit crew vans for the Tube Lines signalling fleet. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,716 |  |
By Ray Monk Parked near Tower Hill Station on 8th February 2009, 6291F is a relatively rare Ford Tourneo Connect in silver livery with Metronet logos. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,717 |  |
By John Lloyd-Martin The number of Vauxhall Combo vans in the central fleet increased markedly from about 2007, most being supplied by the dealership on the Edgware Road (since moved). They have proved to be quite elusive vehicles, with some not being seen since delivery, while a look at the batches suggests that some of the remaining unreported vehicles may also be Combos. It could be just that these small vehicles are easy to hide away within the various depots. 6247V was new in June 2007 but then was not seen again until 4th March 2009, when it paid a visit to Neasden Station yard. This example has cargo doors on both sides, resulting in the logos being applied across the joins. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,718 |  |
By Kim Rennie A line-up of Metronet SVs in Acton Works on 5th March 2009 includes a pair of Ford Focus estates, a VW Transporter van and a Ford Transit dropside. Focus 6192F (nearest) differs from 6086F in having a rear logo, black side strip and different wheeltrims. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,719 |  |
By Kim Rennie Metronet's Volkswagen vans continue to be elusive, normally only leaving Acton Works in the dead of night. On 5th March 2009, 6172VW was parked inside the works. Note the additional lettering (below the cab door logo), which reads 'Signal Projects BCV'. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,720 |  |
By Ray Monk Another view of London Safety Camera Partnership Ford Transit 6121F at North Greenwich on 23rd February 2009. Note the Metropolitan Police lettering, and the large cat-flap in the rear window! |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,721 |  |
By Ray Monk A slightly fuzzy but very interesting picture here, taken at Bugsby's Way, North Greenwich, on 23rd February 2009. Although it may look like a police vehicle, a service vehicle fleetnumber is clearly visible below the side mirror. Tube Lines supplied a number of Vauxhall Vivaro vans to the London Safety Camera Partnership, replacing them with Ford Transits in 2007 (see forum posting for more details). The vehicle shown here is 6121F, while 6120F is known to be similar. 6122 is a notable gap in the reported vehicles, and there may be more. The livery, which is similar to that carried by LM55FJD, features contravision panels to disguise the side windows, while a number of external lights are mounted at high level around the vehicle. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,722 |  |
By Thomas Young While the main yard at Lillie Bridge tends to be dominated by Metronet vehicles, the small section including the parking area above the District Line is reserved for Tube Lines. Seen there on 3rd March 2009 was Ford Focus estate 6078F (fleetnumber not carried). This is one of four cars (6076F to 6079F) used by the Transplant workshops at Ruislip. Behind is a more normal resident in the shape of Transit crew van 5967F. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,723 |  |
By Kim Rennie A trio of Metronet Ford Transits in the main yard at Lillie Bridge on 5th March 2009 is headed by single-cabbed dropside 5990F. Interestingly, this vehicle was delivered without a tail-lift, although one was fitted within a few months. The van behind is Jumbo 6205F, while the crew-cab dropside at the back is 6333F. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,724 |  |
By Kim Rennie Just three types of Honda vehicle have featured in the central fleet. 9 un-numbered ST1100 motorcycles and 15 Civic hybrid cars have been used by London Buses, while Metronet have had 5 CR-V cars, whose appearance suggests a 4-wheel drive off-road capability. The first pair came in March 2006 and were white without fleetnumbers. LD06CTZ is allocated the number 5900H, and is based at Acton Works, where it was photographed on 5th March 2009. Three subsequent CR-Vs came in a silver livery. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,725 |  |
By Ray Monk The three Mercedes Sprinter mobile generators in the Tube Lines fleet are seemingly only used at night and are therefore rarely seen anywhere other than at their base of Lillie Bridge. Ray was lucky to come across 2563M at Acton on 12th February 2009. It parked for a while near the Smallbills garage on Bollo Lane. The generator fitted is thought to have been originally painted red and carried by either 2478M or 2480M. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,726 |  |
By James Mair Not the greatest of pictures but I have included this for a number of reasons. Firstly, it proved to be invaluable while I was looking into generators recently, demonstrating that even 'duff' pictures can turn out to be worthwhile. Secondly, it is the only photo I have yet seen of Mercedes demountable 2480M. Thirdly, it is the only photo I have to show the Junction Road location at Holloway. Taken sometime in the early 1990s, it shows 4 SVs in the small yard next to the railway. From the left are Mercedes demountable 2478M with a red generator, an unidentified (and anonymous) Vauxhall Astra van from the 3786B to 3797B batch, Mercedes demountable 2480M also with a red generator, and Vauxhall Midi van 4104B. Note the wheelclamp on 2478M and the trailer behind 2480M (possibly CBT46). The generators are thought to still be in use, repainted white and mounted on newer 2562M and 2563M. 2478M was later used as a vehicle transporter. |
15/03/2009 |
| 5,727 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Arriva London Vauxhall Combo van 87 is based at Croydon Garage and is a regular visitor to Addington Interchange, as here on 21st January 2009. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,728 |  |
By Mark Penney Back to Blackpool now, although unlike last time there is at least a London connection in the picture. Blackpool Transport uses an ERF B series recovery lorry with Brimec lifting gear. It was seen at the garage on 20th October 2008 with a former Blue Triangle, East Lancs-bodied Dennis Trident on tow, the recently acquired bus having expired on delivery. Note the eight headlamps, and also the tram track in the foreground. Mark is involved in the preservation of several former SYT towing buses, details of which can be found on his M3 Preservation Group fotopic site. Fans of recovery vehicles should also take a look at his other fotopic site, Shifty's photos. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,729 |  |
By Damon Cross A new LBSL red tow truck appeared in February 2009, the contract for the provision of this having been awarded to Sovereign Recovery. As well as the livery, the vehicle differs from the bulk of the Sovereign fleet in being based on a Mercedes chassis rather than a Volvo. According to the DVLA website, Actros lorry GM03TOW was built in 2003 and previously carried a silver livery. The new livery differs from that on L100JMH in that it has chevrons rather than squares along the sides, and the lettering now mentions Transport for London and CentreComm as well as London Buses (the CentreComm lettering was last seen on Vauxhall Astra car K89HWF in 1993). One clue to the Sovereign ownership is the 'Keeping London Moving' slogan on the sun visor. As with its predecessor, the vehicle can usually be found parked on Achilles Way at the south end of Park Lane, as here on 7th February 2009. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,730 |  |
By Colin Lloyd The contract to provide a London Buses-liveried recovery truck on standby in central London was recently awarded to Sovereign Recovery. This has meant the departure of Mercedes-Benz SK series L100JMH, the operator of which we never determined. A final view of this truck is provided in this photo taken at Victoria Bus Station on 22nd October 2008. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,731 |  |
By Malcolm Conway C Spearing is one of the 'lesser spotted' bus recovery firms that work in London (last seen in 2006), and should not be confused with the C&S group! One of their trucks was seen on 21st January 2009 coming down Chiswick High Road at Gunnersbury with a Transdev Enviro 200 on tow. These buses are based at Hounslow Heath for route 285 so it was presumably being taken somewhere for repairs. The truck is a four axle Scania 164G 580 with Boniface gear and a modest array of front lights. It does however have one of the trucker's favourites in the form of a chrome lady on the radiator grille. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,732 |  |
By Damon Cross DAF CF EU06HPA from the C&S Motor Group has some pretty serious looking lifting gear at the back, supplied (as usual) by Boniface. It also has a curious variation on the 'spoiler' arrangement whose main role appears to be to support the light-bar! Seen on Vauxhall Bridge Road at Victoria on 26th April 2008. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,733 |  |
By Graham Brown Rather less 'showy' than some recovery vehicles, but sleek and impressive nonetheless, EU06HPA is a DAF CF from the C&S Motor Group. On 14th July 2008 it was in the Strand with an East London Dennis Trident. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,734 |  |
By Scott Tillbrook Lantern is another company that provides vehicle recovery services for London bus companies. Their DAF XF unit ES04LRS was seen bringing a Metroline VP bus home to Harrow Weald garage on 6th April 2007. Most vehicles of this type seem to have the main light-bar mounted on a forward-raked arch, slightly resembling a backwards spoiler. Extended front bumpers are also common, although this is the first one I have seen with the radiator grille modified to match. It certainly alters the DAF's otherwise boxy cab design. The number (96) on the cabside may be a fleetnumber. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,735 |  |
By Damon Cross As well as the huge towing lorries, Sovereign Recovery also runs a fleet of vans to attend less serious breakdowns. Damon captured this fine view of their Ford Transit EN56EJV on Vauxhall Bridge Road at Victoria on 7th February 2009. Quite what a 15 bus was doing there is anybody's guess. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,736 |  |
By Ray Monk Another very smart Volvo recovery truck from the Sovereign fleet, GN05CCF was seen at Travel London's Beddington garage on 7th August 2007. This particular unit has higher-sided bodywork than most of the other examples, and was unusually not bearing a select registration at the time. The fact that this registration is not showing as current on the DVLA website suggests that a select plate has since been applied. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,737 |  |
By Malcolm Conway A rear view of Sovereign Recovery Volvo YN04FYJ at Addington Interchange on 21st January 2009 shows the scuffing on the underside of the vehicle hoist caused by its proximity to the road surface whilst in use. Note also the raised rear axle. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,738 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Keeping track of the Sovereign Recovery fleet is made tricky by the application of 'select' registrations (mainly in the PxSOV range) and also by the fact that most are broadly identical Volvo units. YN04FYJ is unusual in operating for some time with a 'normal' registration. It was found at Addington Interchange on 21st January 2009 attending to an Arriva London DLA and sporting a typical proliferation of front-mounted lights. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,739 |  |
By Ray Monk This vehicle was found by Ray at Blackfriars Station on 24th January 2009. Although wearing a sort-of white/blue livery and Metronet logos, it is not what we would call a real service vehicle. Owned by SEM (SE Maintenance Ltd), the Volvo FH12 tractor unit and box trailer are used as a mobile staff welfare facility in connection with major works. We don't know exactly what is inside but there is a set of steps set up at the rear doors. The trailer (or one very like it) was stationed at Hornchurch Station for some time recently, during which a TV aerial was visible fitted to the rear. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,740 |  |
By John Forge This view of Blue Triangle Vauxhall Corsa van GV57YCM was actually taken at the Silvertown base of associated fleet Docklands Buses, on 18th January 2009. Note the small fleetnumber (7) applied towards the rear and the Buses roundel on the back. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,741 |  |
By Colin Lloyd This van has appeared on LTSV twice already, but this view shows some further aspects. New as 5479F in the Metronet fleet, Ford Transit van KJ03DYH was later bought by Travel London for use as an engineering support van, still in LUL white/blue livery. The original fleetnumber has been retained on the nearside only, while the additional side window fitted during its Metronet career can be seen to be on the offside only. Note also the snow on the roof, almost obscuring the light-bar. Taken at Parliament Square on 3rd February 2009. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,742 |  |
By Damon Cross Transport for London Citroen Relay exhibition unit AY07EYZ was present at the Acton Museum Depot open day on 2nd November 2008. The vehicle is used as part of the Safety and Citizenship program aimed at schoolchildren, and focuses on the use of buses in London. Although a three-axle vehicle, the twin rear wheels are covered on both sides by mock bus wheels when in use. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,743 |  |
By Malcolm Conway LK08LDY was one of four Iveco Stralis lorries bought in mid-2008, but it managed to avoid being photographed until 21st January 2009, when Malcolm caught it turning onto Chiswick High Road at Turnham Green. Two of the lorries are demountables and these have taken over from earlier Ivecos 2554F and 2555F in the role of carrying bodies DB22-24. Curtainsided DB23 is the load in this case. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,744 |  |
By Ray Monk This Metronet Ford Transit dropside truck has been seen on several occasions in the yard at Edgware Road station. The first time it was seen out and about was on 7th February 2009 when Ray found it parked near Mansion House station. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,745 |  |
By Colin Lloyd With a jolly driver, this is Mercedes-Benz Sprinter IRU 6363M returning to its normal base at Edgware Bus Station on 22nd November 2008. I thought traffic lights usually had red at the top... |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,746 |  |
By Kim Rennie The snow that hit London on Monday 2nd February 2009 had a profound impact on transport in the capital, with all bus routes and many train services being suspended for most of the morning. Kim somehow managed to get along to Stratford Bus Station and captured this view of London Buses Incident Response Unit 6352M parked in the bus-free bus station. In the background is similar but even more snowy 6369M. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,747 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Ford Transit Connect van 6216F is another vehicle that has already been illustrated here, and is one of the internal mail vans in the Tube Lines fleet. This picture taken at Parliament Square on 28th October 2008 is notable for the fact that it was waiting at the traffic lights alongside identical 6217F (although you will have to take my word for this!). Sadly other queuing vehicles precluded a clearer view of the pair. |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,748 |  |
By Glyn Matthews This Tube Lines Ford Transit Dropside has been seen before, being based at Frank Pick House. However, this view was taken on 6th November 2008 at the unlikely location of 'near Stourbridge' in the midlands. Glyn waited in vain for other SVs to appear here (actually he overtook this vehicle then laid in wait for it!) |
08/02/2009 |
| 5,749 |  |
By James Mair Recently withdrawn, 2556M was one of a pair of 'mini dust-carts' bought in the late 1990s to work alongside the larger refuse collection vehicles. Based on a Mercedes-Benz 814 chassis, it had equipment by Farid designed to ease the emptying of standard LUL wheelie bins. This shot taken at Northwood Station shows the lifting gear in use and was taken before the LUL lettering was replaced with Tube Lines logos in 2003. |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,750 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Spot the differences 2: TfL Streets Toyota Prius FL57CJU crosses Buckingham Palace Road on the 8th of October 2008. Answers: Logos on doors, positioning of light bar and badging above side light. |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,751 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Spot the differences 1: TfL Streets Toyota Prius FH56TXG crosses Buckingham Palace Road on the 8th of October 2008. |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,752 |  |
By Ray Monk Vauxhall Combo van YD02NWE worked from Barking garage when new, only gaining the fleetnumber 29 when it moved up to Tottenham/Lea Valley in 2008. It was photographed parked near Dagenham East station on 10th January 2009, when it appeared to be in use in connection with a rail replacement service. It may at the time have been running from Barking once again but in any case it was withdrawn and offered for sale later that month. |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,753 |  |
By Thomas Young 6582F is a recently delivered Ford Transit long-wheelbase crew van, found at Neasden Station on 23rd January 2009. |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,754 |  |
By Thomas Young An interesting fleet addition during 2008 was 6552F, a Ford Galaxy car for use as an LUL Incident Response Vehicle at Wembley Park. This role has mainly been performed by Vauxhall Zafiras in recent years. As far as we know, only three other Galaxy cars have carried LUL livery, and the design has changed markedly since the last of these was delivered in 2005. Note the LED light-bar, tinted windows and extended reflective markings on the rear. The positioning of the 'Incident Officer' lettering over the rear wheel is curious. Also, compare this view with similarly-liveried Ford S-Max 6221F. Photographed on 23rd January 2009. |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,755 |  |
By Thomas Young Neasden Station yard is usually home to a handful of Metronet vans but, on 23rd January 2009, there were also a pair from Tube Lines. One was smart Ford Tourneo minibus 6249F. Features common to most Tourneos are single-piece rear doors and more stylish wheel trims. The other JNP van was Combo 6411V. |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,756 |  |
By Thomas Young The yard at Neasden Station can be seen from the platforms but a better view can be had from the footpath that runs along the rear. On 23rd January the residents included the usual Metronet Transit crew vans. Nearest the camera is 5998F, quite a low number for an 07 registered vehicle. Getting down to the minutiae, the ladder that was loaded on its roof rack was marked 'C&E Acton' on one side and 'P&E Acton' on the other! The differences between 5998F and similar but newer 6582F on the left are minimal. Apart from the rear ladder on the latter, there is the colour of the lower hinges of the back doors and the style of registration plates. 5998F has plates marked 'Bank of Scotland', while those on 6582F appear to read 'www.leasedrivevelo.com'. If the supplier of leased vehicles has changed, this could account for the return of London registration series (such as LS) after several years of using provincial ones (mainly starting in K). |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,757 |  |
By Ray Monk 5470F was a standard long-wheelbase in the Tube Lines fleet, notable for having spent the early part of its service life on loan to London Buses. It later worked for Tube Lines itself, and gained a side window on the offside only. Since being returned off lease it has been seen at various locations in south east and east London, easily recognisable by virtue of retaining its blue skirt livery. On 11th January 2009, Ray found it parked at Belvedere. |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,758 |  |
By Kim Rennie On a misty 14th January 2009, Emergency Response Unit Atego 2593 was found at Finchley Central Station. Note the allocation plate at the bottom of the door. It is presumed that these are either stickers or magnetic, to allow for the reallocations which (so far at least) seem to be fairly regular. Reports of allocations of any of the other ERU vehicles would be appreciated. |
25/01/2009 |
| 5,759 |  |
By Thomas Young Another Sovereign Recovery Volvo, this time P8SOV (named The Grenadier) on Edgware Road on 3rd January 2009. Note the engineer poking around under the rear wheel of the ailing Metroline Scania. This vehicle is broadly similar to N11SOV with detail differences in the livery and front-end fittings. Of note is that the registration P8SOV was earlier carried by a rather different Volvo recovery truck named Churchill (that Damon photographed in August 2006). With a small pool of 'select' registrations, such transfers are likely to take place as the fleet is renewed. Given that the vehicles are often essentially the same, I will not attempt to differentiate them on the database. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,760 |  |
By Richard Davis New contributor Richard Davis sent in this picture taken on 4th January 2009 at the unusual location of the car park of Tescos in Dunstable! The subject matter will be familiar to many of you, N11SOV having been one of the two Volvo recovery trucks on display at the Bow Garage open day in June 2008. There are numerous detail differences between members of the Sovereign Recovery fleet. N11SOV (named Invincible) has chrome mirror covers, a front bumper/step, and an offset registration plate with smaller than standard characters. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,761 |  |
By Ray Monk This rather rusty-looking Ford Escort van photographed on the mud outside Plumstead Garage on 14th December 2008 is one of a small number of service vehicles to have come back for a second bite. As the Scottish registration might suggest, M938WSN was originally in the Stagecoach fleet, painted red and based at Bow Garage (seen there in 2005). It was disposed of that same year but resurfaced in late 2008, repainted white and in use by Sovereign Recovery. It may have gone direct to Sovereign (and kept a low profile for a couple of years!), or had an intervening owner. It has therefore had a similar career to former South London L145NMY (see here for details). Could it be that these vehicles were 'given' to Sovereign as payment for bus recovery work?! |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,762 |  |
By Thomas Young I visited North Street Garage (Romford) on 10th January 2009, hoping to track down their engineers van. That was not in at the time, but this Ford Focus estate was, seemingly guarding the pits! HT05FDE was earlier based at Barking and Stratford Garages, and carries an unmarked red livery. Note the Trident bus in the background blinded for school route 608 (Gallows Corner to Shenfield) and the Scania single-decker in training green livery. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,763 |  |
By Kim Rennie Since London Buses got rid of their baker's dozen in the mid-2000s, there have not been very many Vauxhall Movano vans used as service vehicles. In the central fleet there is one each with Tube Lines, the LT Museum and the LBSL Technical Services Group. Travel London had four used as crew ferries but these have not been reported for a while. The only other bus company user is Arriva the Shires with three, based at Stevenage, Garston and Harlow. Fleetnumber 1188 is the one at Harlow and it was seen at Epping Station on 15th December 2008, attending to a poorly Volvo B6BLE. It carries the national standard livery of white with a blue sash and quaint 'Looking after our buses' slogan. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,764 |  |
By Ray Monk A vehicle that has only recently appeared in London is W161JEU, a Vauxhall Astra van in the Arriva Kent Thameside fleet. Photographed at Eltham Bus Station on 22nd December 2008, this van may be a recent acquisition, or it may have operated elsewhere in the Arriva Southern Counties empire until now. The Vauxhall Vectra car behind is one of a couple that are used by Metrobus staff (as stated on the notice in the windscreen) but, being unlettered, will not be listed on this website. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,765 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Showing off its new applied Driver Assesment Vehicle lettering, Mercedes Sprinter minibus P851OLL is now T197 in the East Thames Buses fleet, having earlier been D197 in the Dial-a-Ride operation. It was seen at the somewhat unlikely location of Crawley on 22nd December 2008. Let's hope that the 'partial sight' and 'partial hearing' labels in the door window apply to the vehicle's original users and not to trainee bus drivers! |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,766 |  |
By Ray Monk East Thames Buses has been taking a relatively large number of Mercedes Sprinter minibuses from the associated London Dial-a-Ride fleet recently, mainly for use as crew ferry vehicles. However, a couple have been lettered as Driver Assesment Vehicles, this presumably being modern speak for Trainer! Such vehicles can also be distinguished by having their number prefixes amended from the original D to T instead of E (although as usual, they have difficulty obtaining letters to the same size as the numbers!). Ray found two such vehicles at Bexleyheath on 10th December 2008, with T19 to the fore. The slightly darker shade of red (plus the Dial-a-Ride logo above the windscreen) shows that these have not been repainted for their new role. Similar T197 behind can also be seen here. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,767 |  |
By Damon Cross Ah, a small trailer! These have caused me a lot of problems over the years. First there was the confusion over which one CBT64 was (see here and here for details). Then there are several others which we know nothing about (T49, T50, T63, T69 and T75). The photo here was taken at the back of the Acton Museum Depot on 2nd November 2008 and shows a small trailer in use as a exhibition/training unit by TfL's Safety and Citizenship program. Internally it is fitted out with mock tube station features, similar to Transit 5494F. Whether this is one of the numbered trailers listed above, or something else, is not known. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,768 |  |
By Kim Rennie A development in the past year or so has been the delivery of a number of vans for use as Staff Welfare Facilities. The examples seen so far have all been 'Jumbo' Ford Transits, either crew vans (with additional side windows, like 6463F) or plain vans (like 6464F). YS08FSO has side windows on both sides, and seems to be based at Stratford Station, where this picture was taken on 9th December 2008. The most recent examples have been registered in Yorkshire, perhaps due to their conversion work by a firm called Clarks (badge visible on rear), although the earlier ones (see links above) were in more usual Kx series. One other curiosity on these vehicles is that the Tube Lines logos on the cab doors are applied lower down than standard. This vehicle is no doubt allocated a fleetnumber but it unfortunately does not carry it. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,769 |  |
By Thomas Young It is always nice to discover new SV locations, especially when they are ones where any resident vehicles can be clearly seen and photographed! I was rather surprised to find these two vans in a small yard on Union Street near the junction with Borough High Street, barely half a mile from my workplace. It may be a temporary allocation but the same pair have been there for most of the past month. The pair of Ford Transit crew vans are from the JNP signalling department, recognisable by the plain white livery and the tube and gubbins on the roof. Similar vehicles can often be seen at Neasden, Stratford and Finchley. 6436F (LS08BYX) on the left has 'Jubilee Line Signal Dept' lettering below the Tube Lines logo, and solid rear doors. LS07GBU lacks the extra lettering and has windows in the rear doors. It also lacks a fleetnumber, but I would not be surprised if it was allocated number 6341F. Picture was taken on Christmas eve 2008, whilst I was on my way to a very quiet day at work! |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,770 |  |
By Colin Smith A notable arrival in December 2008 was the first small Mercedes truck (as opposed to van) to enter the central fleet since generator 2584M in 2002 (and the first dropside since 1993). Seen in the lorry yard at Acton Works on 3rd December 2008, exactly a week after first being licensed, this Sprinter dropside truck has standard livery and a tail-lift. Not lettered at the time, it was noted shortly afterwards at nearby Frank Pick House carrying the number 6695M. The object on the cab roof appears to be a very small light-bar. Fleet procurement policy is of course a mystery to us but this vehicle could have been obtained to allow comparison with the more common Ford Transit trucks. Or perhaps there was a requirement for a certain length of body. The open section on this vehicle does appear longer than that on any Transit. Apologies for the quality of this shot, and also to the person who submitted a later view. I selected this one as it shows more of the bodywork. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,771 |  |
By Thomas Young Parked outside Upminster Station on a murky 10th January 2009 was Metronet Ford Transit dropside truck 6561F. This is one of the revised style dropsides (as first seen on 6386F), with a tubular headboard and steps, and a new design of dropside panel. This example also features a crew cab and tail-lift. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,772 |  |
By Thomas Young Another Kangoo!! The location for this shot is the impressive looking offices at the back of Baker Street station (on Allsop Place). Present on 3rd January 2009 were Renault Kangoo 6543R and Vauxhall Astra estate 6427V, both of Metronet. The latter vehicle is of note as Vauxhall Astra estates are not particularly common. 6427V/LT57OTP was originally reported as a Vauxhall Astra van with the registration 'to be confirmed'. I could not read the fleetnumber on this occasion, so there is a possibility that there are in fact two vehicles; a van numbered 6427V and an estate registered LT57OTP. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,773 |  |
By Thomas Young More Kangoos! This picture may look very similar to a recent one by Ray, but it does show the other 2 of the 4 Kangoos that now seem to be a regular feature of the small Metronet office alongside Barking Station. Taken on 10th January 2009, the gate was closed on this occasion, forcing me to use quite a wide angle. As with Ray's earlier shot, the other 2 vehicles are there but hidden behind the car on the right. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,774 |  |
By Thomas Young Parked in the car park at Upminster Station during one of the regular District Line closures (on Saturday 10th January 2009), this Ford Transit crew van is number 6323F and used by Metronet. Judging by the sightings records, the regular driver of this vehicle appears to live in Eltham. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,775 |  |
By Thomas Young Renault Kangoo 6092R is based at Bollo House, Acton Town, and can often be seen from passing trains in the gap between the two main buildings. Although it has already been illustrated on this site, this photo has been included as it shows a curious feature. Just visible on the nearside wing (above the sidelight) is the remains of a fleetnumber, peeled off but readable as being 5864! The offside had no number and it was only from an official fleetlist that we know the real fleetnumber. As regular visitors to this site will know, Kangoos do seem rather prone to having incorrect fleetnumbers applied. The picture was taken at Hatton Cross Station on 11th October 2008. |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,776 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Vauxhall Combo van 5785V works for Metronet but is fairly elusive, only having been reported twice. On 19th December 2008 Colin found it arriving at (or is it leaving?) Loughton Station. Note the missing wheel trim and the offside cargo door (the nearside had both wheel trims and another door). |
18/01/2009 |
| 5,777 |  |
By Damon Cross Taken from the same location as the last picture, this is a Lothian Buses garage (Which one Damon?) on 16th March 2008. In the foreground are a trio of Fiat Doblo (?) vans and a single Ford Escort, while on the upper level are a line of Wright-bodied double-deckers. Note that Lothian make use of rear destination blinds. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,778 |  |
By Damon Cross Sporting what must be the largest fleetnumbers ever, this is Lothian A24, a Ford Transit van in Harlequin livery seen in Edinburgh on 16th March 2008. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,779 |  |
By Colin Lloyd First corporate colours are (perhaps thankfully) not carried by vehicles based in London. 90022 is a Volvo FL6.17 recovery truck in the First Manchester fleet (or First Recovery perhaps!) and painted in group white, pink and purple. The lifting equipment has a low profile, not being visible above the side panels. It was caught at Bolton bus station on 7th August 2008. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,780 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Almex has a number of Vauxhall Astra cars in the AU06Uxx registration series but, as seen here, most operate without any lettering. This example has a removable roof beacon and was parked at Canning Town bus station on 16th September 2008. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,781 |  |
By Damon Cross The Metrobus garage at Crawley is next to the railway line south of Gatwick Station and was recently made more visible by the removal of a lot of lineside vegetation. This photo taken on 14th September 2008 shows much of the yard and several service vehicles. At either end of the row parked nearest the camera are recently delivered Ford Transit Connect vans, 9024 (EA08FHP) to the right and 9023 (EA08FHB) to the left. Second from the right is brand new Renault Trafic high roof engineers van 9102 (LX58XCT), which was delivered to Orpington garage very soon afterwards. The Ford Transit is 8014 (GP53RBX), destined to be replaced by a delivery of Renault Trafic minibuses the following month. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,782 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Metrobus renewed a large part of its crew ferry fleet in October 2008, when 14 Renault Trafic minibuses replaced a similar number of 5-year old Ford Transits. The new minibuses were numbered 8028 to 8041 and all but the last three were allocated to Orpington. 8030 (LX58DFN) was seen passing Bromley North Station on a damp 8th November 2008. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,783 |  |
By Ray Monk In recent years Arriva London has made use of a large fleet of Vauxhall Combo vans for crew ferry duties. When new route 135 started in May 2008, it was supported by a new batch of silver 2-door Vauxhall Corsa cars, and later in the year more of the same were delivered to other garages to make a start on replacing the vans. One of the first bases to be dealt with was Lea Valley, which took cars numbered 121 to 135. 121 was caught as it turned towards the garage off Watermead Way on 14th November 2008. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,784 |  |
By John Lloyd-Martin We didn't have enough vinyls to finish this one! East Thames Buses took delivery of a pair of Ford Transit vans in spring 2008 and they had this curious chevron pattern applied to the sides as well as the more normal rear. The layout is in fact identical to that carried by the London Buses Incident Response Units (such as 6357M) but looks even odder on a white background. Photographed at Eltham Bus Station on 20th August 2008. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,785 |  |
By Ray Monk This Vauxhall Corsa van seen on the forecourt of London Central's Bexleyheath Garage on 16th November 2008 is in the same registration series as several similar vehicles in the Blue Triangle fleet, both companies being part of the Go-Ahead group. Bexleyheath has always had a small van allocated in recent years, including a unique Fiat Punto (X181CDY) and a Ford Fiesta (EG04MKU). Vauxhall Corsa vans are not particularly common, although an example of a slightly earlier design was coincidentally passing the garage as this photo was taken. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,786 |  |
By Glyn Matthews This vehicle has been illustrated before (and was on the front cover of SUP24C) but it has been included again to show the return of the fleetnumbers. Most of the former Stagecoach service vehicle fleet lost their five-digit fleetnumbers at the same time as their Stagecoach logos. The fact that the numbering system remains in use was evidenced by the delivery in 2008 of new vehicles carrying numbers in the 960xx range. Upton Park's Ford Transit Connect van HT05VAD was numberless in 2007 but had had one reapplied when it was photographed at Canning Town Bus Station on 13th November 2008. This photo also shows the fading of the reflective stripes, typical of vehicles left outdoors. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,787 |  |
By Malcolm Conway The Docklands Buses operation (now part of the Go-Ahead group) makes use of a couple of anonymous silver minibuses for crew ferry duties. Ford Tourneo EX05FYO was seen close to Stratford Bus Station on 4th December 2008. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,788 |  |
By Glyn Matthews Another vehicle to have changed livery recently is London Central Ford Transit van EF05YJC. This Bexleyheath-based vehicle was delivered in plain red but gained a reflective stripe by 2008. On the 2nd of December it was seen in its home town. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,789 |  |
By Colin Lloyd Since it was photographed at Hatton Cross at the end of July, Travel London LDV Convoy minibus GK52TVA has gained a repaint in red, new number plates, and had repairs to its front panels. It was seen at the same location on 1st November 2008. Although it carries full lettering, there is no sign of the allocated fleetnumber of 8948. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,790 |  |
By Malcolm Conway Many of the service vehicles in the Travel London fleet were acquired second-hand from the Royal Mail, and hence came in a suitable red livery. One batch that did not were three LDV Convoy minibuses allocated to Fulwell and used as crew ferries in a white livery. GK52TVA was caught at Hatton Cross on 30th July 2008. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,791 |  |
By Glyn Matthews A study in light, shade and reflections at Lewisham Bus Station on 4th December 2008. East Thames Buses appears to have a large appetite for crew ferry minibuses, regularly inheriting Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the associated London Dial-a-Ride fleet. Recent examples have been of the Sprinter type, mainly 312D models as seen here. Although already red, recent transfers have received a full repaint. The fleetnumbers carried are the original dial-a-ride ones with the prefix changed from D to E. It would seem that they do not have a full set of vinyls to the same size! |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,792 |  |
By Les Savine Use of former London taxis as crew ferry vehicles was popular for a few years (notably with Stagecoach and Metroline) but seems to have declined more recently in favour of newer cars or minibuses. Arriva the Shires still use a handful but full details are not available. Fleetnumber 1388 is carried by N176CMF, seen at Waltham Cross Bus Station on 31st October 2008. This is thought to be based at Ware garage. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,793 |  |
By Damon Cross In October 2008 I launched a new website dealing principally with railway wagons. I hadn't expected there to be much overlap between that and LTSV but here is a photo that can (and indeed does) appear on both. Taken at the back of Acton Museum Depot on 2nd November 2008, this location is really the south end of Ealing Common depot. The two brake vans are from a batch of 6 built by BR at Ashford in 1962, using their standard, LNER-derived, design. Four survived into the 1990s, having been converted as coupling adaptors. B580 and B585 were fitted with tube stock couplers at one end each (and were painted yellow), while B583 and B584 gained surface stock couplers in 1980 and were later repainted grey with red ends. To allow the latter pair to work on the national rail network, they were given alternative TOPS numbers of LT95800 and LT95801. A pair of ex-BR brake vans was reportedly acquired in the early 1990s, taking TOPS numbers LT95802 and LT95803 (with LT numbers B586 and B587 on paper). However, the TOPS number LT95803 is currently carried by B583 seen here. Also visible on the original photograph is a paint date of 5/89 on B584. This would account for the faded condition, the LUL roundels on the side lookouts being virtually invisible. Although stored at Ruislip for many years, this pair of wagons was reportedly used in connection with removing stock from the locations of the bomb attacks in July 2005. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,794 |  |
By Damon Cross The tube-profile battery locomotives used by LUL have a curious appearance, although I can't decide if they actually look ancient or modern. All the locos were fitted with new headlight clusters in the 1990s, while most have also had the lourved panels in the centre section replaced with plain ones. The large buffers were hinged and could be folded upwards and backwards if the locos had to couple to tube stock (note the supporting brackets on top of the bufferbeam). L26 was built by Metro-Cammell in 1965 and was seen near the back of the Museum Depot at Acton on 2nd November 2008. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,795 |  |
By Graham Young A flashback to the Acton Works open day of July 1983 now, with a pair of departmental trains in the distinctive yellow livery. To the right is pilot motor car L127, converted from Q38 car 4417 in 1971. This would have worked with similar L126 to power stock moves. Both cars were later preserved by LUL and restored to near original condition. On the left is a pre-1938 stock car, most likely one of the pilot motor cars from L130/131 or L134/135. Two of these four cars also survive but are in a unrestored state at the back of Acton Works, about 100 feet from where this photo was taken! Two more flare-sided surface stock cars can be seen in the background, a red CO/CP on the left and a silver R on the right. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,796 |  |
By Colin Lloyd The junction of Elizabeth Street and Buckingham Palace Road (by the main entrance to Victoria Coach Station) is a good place to see service vehicles from the TfL streets fleet, their main base being in nearby Eccleston Place. Colin sent a whole string of photos of Toyota Priuses crossing the junction on 8th October 2008, from which I have selected recently reported SM57JWZ. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,797 |  |
By Colin Smith Escalators Logistic Support Vehicle 6489F was found on Museum Approach at Acton Town on 3rd December 2008. This Ford Transit crew van is one of relatively few white/blue liveried vans to have a light-bar. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,798 |  |
By Ray Monk The Metronet Operations Group is one of few sections to apply additional lettering to their vehicles, some of which are based at Pelham Street in South Kensington. Vauxhall Combo van 6477V was parked on Upney Lane on 1st November 2008, during work on the adjacent District Line. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,799 |  |
By Richard Jones The London Buses Passenger Data department has taken delivery of two new Ford Transit minibuses during 2008. Following from 6498F in August, 6460F arrived in October, and featured a new-style LED light-bar. It was caught working at Parliament Hill Fields on 3rd November. |
07/12/2008 |
| 5,800 |  |
By Ray Monk Regular visitors to this site will know about the relative elusiveness of the Renault Kangoos in the central fleet. So it was a surprise to find three together at Barking during a recent track work possession. Parked in front of the small office on Wakering Road, this photo taken on 1st November 2008 shows Metronet 6443R (left) and 6520R (right) with a third just visible behind. |
07/12/2008 |
| < Previous (later) 100 | Next (earlier) 100 > |